(Bluefield)—When its Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) licensure passage rate dropped below 80% last year its Bluefield campus, Bluefield State College developed and assertively implemented an action plan for improving BSC students' success rate on the exam. The BSC program was one of three associate degree nursing programs from colleges in West Virginia to be placed on provisional approval for the next year by the West Virginia Board of Nursing at its March 23, 2012 meeting. BSC's ADN program is offered on the College's Bluefield campus and in Beckley, and the Board action affects only the Bluefield campus program.

The plan, approved by the State Nursing Board last September, includes the following strategies:

1) Focus review testing has been implemented, requiring students to take licensure examination review tests prior to completing the program;

2) Review courses administered at the end of students' final semester have been upgraded, and successful completion of these exit exams are required to complete the course, and;

3) All courses are reviewed during each semester, with students receiving specific remediation to address learning gaps.

"It is important to note that the State Nursing Board action granted provisional approval of our Associate Degree Nursing program and does not constitute probationary status, nor does it affect students currently in the program," observed Angela Lambert, Dean of the BSC School of Nursing and Allied Health. "The Board will review our status in one year to affirm that our licensure passage rate has improved."

"The BSC ADN program is fully accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission, and this status is not currently impacted by the State Board action," Dean Lambert continued. "We recognize the importance of improving our licensure passage rate and our Associate Degree Nursing program director has worked closely with the State Board of Nursing since last September to address this matter."

"The Provost, Dean of the School of Allied Health and Nursing, and Associate Degree Nursing program director have been aware of this challenge since last September and have taken definitive, focused action to improve our students' success rate on the exam," added Dr. Lewis Jones, BSC Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The Bluefield State College Associate Degree Nursing program has maintained national accreditation on a continuous basis since 1977.